Improvement in photographic head-rests



s. B. Maes. Photographic Head-masts.

Patented Feb. 3.1874.

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No.l46,977.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

tEoneE n. Avans, on BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PHTOGRAPHIC HEAD-RESTS.

Specification formfng part of Letters Patent No. 146,977?, dated February 3, 1874; application tiled May 16, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE B. AYREs, of Bu'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New `York, have invented hew and useful Improvements in Photographers Rests, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to rests used by photographers, more particularly for artistic and full-length postures, &c.; and the object is to make an extensible rest partly resembling in outline the human figure, and which is intended to be fully or wholly hidden when used, and which can also be arranged at almost any angle, or set at any height; and the invention consists in the peculiar telescopic arrangement of the joints and rods, so that they can be pushed in or out at will, and all parts held in any given place or position by thumb-screws, the whole allowing great range of adjustability, and great compactness when out .of use.

In the dra-wings, Figure l is a back view of' the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the center plate.

A A are two hollow standards or bases, having feet x a' to aid in supporting the upper part of the rest. These feet have sharp points a a, to stick into the carpet or matting of anoperating-room. B B are two rods or legs, which project downward into the hollows in the standard A, and are held at any height desired by set-screws b b. The upper parts of these rods .B are pivoted toa center plate or body, C, having a socket, c, in its center, into which a tube, d, is set, which is also held at any desired height by a thumb-screw, e. p p indicate the openings in the legs to move the rest.

fis. a loose collar surrounding the tube (l, and

having an attached tube, g, running at right angles thereto, intowhi'ch a rod, h, moves back and forth, having a curved waist-rest, fi, thereon, as shown.l The collar f and tube y are both supplied with thumb-screws to enable them to `be held in any positiony desired. The collar allows this back or waist rest i to be swung round into any desired position. D is a rod, which is held'upright in the tube d by a thumbscrew, j, thus enabling the head-rest to be cle vate-d to a considerable height. The top of this rod D is supplied with a socket, k, into which a tube, I, is placed, as shown. This tube is supplied with a rod, m, having the usual curved rest E for the support of the head of `the subject, the whole being held and adjusted by thumb-screws q q'.

The advantages of my construction are many, the rst being that for standing gures ot' men or women, and also children with short dresses, the entire rest, which steadies both the head and body, is wholly hidden behind the subject. The legs being provided with sliding joints not only enable the whole npper portion of the rest to be raised to any desired height, but also permit the feet of the rest to bc turned in any desired direction, so that they will be always invisible in the picture. The advantage of the lhollow legs and movable body C is, also, very great, as by their use an artistic pose, or any inclination of the body or unusual positions, can be readily obtained, and, by the thumb-screws, kept in the position desired, the rest following the direction of the body. p

The pivots by which the legs are adjusted to the center plate ofthe rest enable the body to be inclined to any angle desired for fancy positions for actors and actresses, and for figures in groups.

The object in telescopin g all the rods is, that only one-half the space usually occupied is used, andfwhich also gives the important advantage of allowing the photographer to bring the backgrounds used close to the subject, which cannot be done with the rests now in use, which have their rods running their full length to the rear, and are all single rods, which, when extended rearward, not only pre vent the background from being brought up close enough to the ligure, but render the background constantly liable to injury from accidental seratchin g, indcntations, and puncturcs. My rest obviates all these objections. The rod which steadies the head, especially, by being telescoped, when put rearward, is not likely to appear beyond the line of the head, which is often seen in photographs.

This advantage applies equally well to the double legs and feet, as by their form they will always be hid by the subject, as before stated.

l Another advantage of telescoping the rods is, that all or any can be adjusted separately I claimi 1. The two hollow standards A A, with th feet .r x and points a a, the legs or rods B B teleseoping into the hollow standards, and pivoted to the body or center plate C, and with the socket c and the thumb-screws, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially in Jthe manner and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination With the subject-matter Y of the above claim, the tube d, with collar f, tube g, with rod h, `rod D, socket 7c, tube Z, rod m, und their thumb-screws, all arranged in the manner and for the purpose speoiied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. GEO. B; AYRES, Witnesses J. R. BRAKE, J. M. SPIES. 

